Ishveena Singh

There’s never a dull moment with Phil Mickelson around. With nearly three decades of professional golf experience behind him, the guy has given fans some pretty wonderful and whacky “Phil being Phil’” anecdotes. But not many come close to what happened ahead of his victory at the 2021 PGA Championship in May 2021. And it involves a drone.

In 2022, Japan’s government agencies will stop purchasing drones from China to curb potential security risks. Private organizations plan to follow suit. But affordable homegrown options are nonexistent. This is why the leading infrastructure companies are now exploring open-source drone technologies to decrease the cost and complexity of developing new aircraft.

Drone company PrecisionHawk is joining forces with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) to upskill the latter’s Part 107 drone pilot members. PrecisionHawk wants to teach NRECA drone operators how to inspect electricity transmission and distribution assets more safely and efficiently across the United States.  

A mother and her son were saved from certain death when a college sophomore spotted the duo struggling in a rip current at Topsail Beach on the North Carolina coast. The incident happened over the July 4th holiday weekend, and a drone operated by the rescuer’s friend caught everything on camera.

The Pentagon has spent roughly $18 million to test and identify drones that government agencies can use instead of those made or assembled in China. But how do these drones stack up against the competition? Not too well, according to an internal US government memo. The Pentagon-approved Blue sUAS drones are 8 to 14 times more expensive and only 20% as effective when it comes to vital conservation work, according to the Department of Interior (DoI).

COVID air travel bans may continue to frustrate holidaymakers, but in India, the skies are finally opening up for business. Only four months after it was introduced, India has junked a contentious drone policy that made industry compliance virtually impossible. Taking its place is the new Draft Drone Rules 2021.

At least 1,000 baby flamingo carcasses – some partially buried in the mud – have been discovered at Turkey’s Lake Tuz. Horrifying drone footage captured above the dried-out lake bed has alarmed environmentalists who say climate change, drought, and unsustainable farming practices are to blame.

As seashores start to get packed with sun-worshippers, a coastal town in northeastern Spain is using drones to monitor beach crowds in real time. The drone trials in Sitges come at a time when COVID-19 cases are rising dramatically across Spain.

India has decided to free its drone industry from countless complexities and sluggish bureaucracy. The new draft drone rules proposed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) – Drone Rules, 2021 – promise to bring in an era of trust, self-certification, and non-intrusive monitoring. Here are the 20 biggest takeaways…

In what can only be described as a win for the drone community in India, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has repealed the “UAS Rules” that came into force in March 2021. Based on the “valuable feedback from academia, industry, and other stakeholders,” a new set of draft drone rules are being introduced to regulate drone-related activities in a manner that they do not pose any risk to the safety or security of people and property.

A resort-style residential community in Ontario, California, has begun testing package deliveries via drones. At the first delivery from the skies today, a drone delivered ribbon-cutting scissors and microbrew beverages to the Ontario mayor, thus commemorating the opening of a marketplace at the New Haven master-planned development. Drone technology companies Airspace Link and DroneUp made the project possible.

Today, July 14, is Shark Awareness Day. And no, you don’t celebrate it by getting down to the beach and shouting out warnings to terrified swimmers and surfers. Today is about debunking the myths that surround sharks and dispelling the fear that gets evoked every time you hear the theme music of Jaws. This is exactly what 10-year-old Elijah Franklin is doing with the help of his new Mini 2 drone.

In a world first, Israel is hosting an international drone training exercise. Called the “Blue Guardian,” the military exercise is seeing participation from the United States, France, Italy, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

A drone belonging to Lake County Sheriff’s Office in Florida met an untimely death this week when a man opened gunfire at it in midair. Why? He thought the drone was sent to harass him.

The British Royal Navy has been conducting experimental drills to test the efficacy of heavy-lift drones in helping rescue a sailor who’s fallen overboard. The trials are being undertaken by the naval warfare force’s innovation experts, the NavyX team.

The home of the Gunas is what you’d call “a paradise on earth”. The tiny coconut islands of the San Blas archipelago off Panama’s eastern coast are littered with glistening white sand beaches, palm trees, and thatch-roof huts. And even though the indigenous tribes have maintained a healthy distance from unwanted modernization, the ripple effects of climate change have reached their shores.

In 2019, Audi teased an autonomous concept car, AI:Trail, that used drones for headlights. These drones with integrated matrix LED elements would fly ahead of the vehicle to light the way, eliminating the need for headlights altogether. The concept was naturally brushed off as extravagant and impractical. But Jeep has figured out a comparatively reasonable and practical way to incorporate drones into its future technology lineup. It’s, well, not giving up headlamps.

Flying drones for recreation? The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is now enabling Community Based Organizations (CBOs) to establish guidelines that will help you to fly safely and legally.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund is offering a $5,000 reward for information on the pilot responsible for a drone crash at California’s Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in May. DroneDJ readers may recall our report on the heartbreaking event in which reckless drone use wiped out an entire generation of elegant terns.

Does owning a personal drone delivery mailbox sound like a far-fetched dream to you? Valqari, a drone delivery solutions company, is working to make this dream a reality for hundreds of families this year. And that too for just under $1,500. Here are the deets…

It’s not white. It’s Sunset White. Think hues of pink and purple fusing with crystal white as an ode to the gorgeous summer sunsets. Imagine the powerful 4K camera device fitting snugly into your summer shorts or beach bag. You’ll have to agree, DJI’s latest offering, the Pocket 2 Sunset White Exclusive Combo, is the perfect sidekick to handle this summer’s heat.